Improvement in pedal attachments for musical instruments



s. SCHOENBRUN. Improvement in Pedal Attachments for Musical Patented Feb. 27, 1872 Kwvem-Cor.

44 I 7 "VII-7%! Unrrnn STATES PATENT QFFIoE.

SIGMUND SCHOENBRUN, OF NET/V YORK, N. Y.

IMPROVEMENT IN PEDAL ATTACHMENTS FOR MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, SIGMUND SononNBRUN, of the city, county, and State of New York, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Pedal Attachm cuts for Musical Instruments 3 and I do hereby declare this to be a full, clear, and exact description thereof, which will enable those skilled in the art to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawing forming part of this specification, in which drawing- Figure 1 is a front elevation of my improvement, wherein it is duplicated or applied to both pedals of a piano. Fig. 2 is a vertical section taken in the plane of the line m at of Fig. 1.

Similar letters indicate corresponding parts.

This invention relates to pedal attachments to piano-fortes and other instruments of music having keyboards for the use of children; and consists of an additional improvement on my invention described in Letters Patent of the United States granted to me September 19, 1871. The presentinvention comprisesahinged clamp, whereby the apparatus is connected to the pedal at any desired point, and in such a manner that the clamp is capable of turning on the apparatus to conform to the movements of the pedal. It also comprises a foot-rest, which is adj usta-bly connected to the stationary part of the apparatus, and which is so arranged as to furnish a place of support for the unoccupied foot of a child or young person, so that such a performer need not depend for support upon the foot-piece of the pedal attachment.

My improvement is represented in Fig. 1 as duplicated and applied to both the ordinary pedals of a piano; but I do not restrict myself to that form of applying it, as I apply it also to a single pedal, in which case the stationary part of the apparatus, on which the slide moves, is continued up to the frame of the piano, as is indicated in dotted outlines in the section, Fig. 2.

The letter A designates the slide of the at tachment, and B is the pedal to be actuated by it. They are connected to each other by a hinged clamp, G, which has two transverse jaws, D D, that are hinged to each other, whereof one, D, is stationary, and the other and lower one, D, movable, and which jaws receive the pedal between them, and are fastened to each other by a set-screw, E, or other suitable fastening device. The stationary jaw forms part of the body of the clamp. The clamp is hinged to the foot of the slide A at a point, F, forward of the jaws, and it is so made and arranged that its front end, G, rests on and grasps the extremity of the pedal, while its intermediate part, between the front end and the jaws, is elevated clear of the pedal, so that the point of contact between the hinged clamp and the pedal, forward of the jaws, is at the extremity of the pedal. The front end of the clamp is also made in such a manner as to form a suitable pedal surface, to which, when adults are at the instrument, the foot can be applied, so that the pedal can be worked without removing the apparatus therefrom. The slide A is slotted to receive and guide the adjustable foot-piece H, which is attached to a block, I, that fits in the slot, and is fastened by a set screw, J, at any desired height. Upon the stationary part K of the attachment I arrange an adjustable foot-rest, L, which, when the at tachment is duplicated, as is shown in Fig. 1, is most conveniently placed midway of the two slides AA .but when the attachment is in its single form, and applied only to one pedal, the footrest is formed at one side by means of a lateral extension of the stationary part K, so as not to interfere with the foot-piece H. The foot-rest is adjusted at a suitable height for the performer, and enables the child performer to obtain a steady support at the instrument independent of the foot-piece of the pedal attachment, and without being compelled to bear on that foot-piece for support.

In the double form ofmy improvement, shown in Fig. l, the apparatus is attached to the instrument by means of the stationary part or bar K, whose lower end is extended in each direction to form guides in which the slides A A have their motion. In the single form the lateral extensions are, of course, omitted, and the slide Amoves in a groove or in loops formed in the bar K.

My attachment can be made part of the frame of the lyre, or can. be independent thereof, as may suit the judgment of the maker. The bar K is, by preference, connected to the instrument by a hinge-joint, 0, so that the whole atmovable jaw, in combination with the pedal B and the slide A, substantially as and for the purpose herein shown and set forth.

3. The foot-rest L, in combination with the pedal attachment, substantially as described.

This specification signed by me this 26th day of December, 1871.

SIGMUND SOHOENBRUN.

Witnesses:

E. F. KASTENHUBER, G. WAHLERS. 

